


Card Games on Tangible Holograms

by ViableSourceMaterial



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, How Do I Tag, What Have I Done, What Was I Thinking?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-09-19 04:39:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9419129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViableSourceMaterial/pseuds/ViableSourceMaterial
Summary: A twelve year old duelist from the real world, St. Louis Missouri to be precise, named Lauren, has found herself in Maiami City with a duel disk strapped to her arm. Inside, she found her trustworthy "Royal Guard" and "Dragon of Memories" deck, and inside her Extra Deck were the familiar faces of the Dragons who had called her towards Dueling in the first place.Opening 1 (FLY)You have to keep your eye on the targetLet it slip away and you lose your chanceOnce you have your eyes locked on, shootJust shoot, shoot for the starsMake your dreams come trueDon't let them sit and gather dustLet them rise up, let them rise upAnd just FLY like a shooting starJust FLY like a bird in the windJust FLYJust FLYJust FLY





	1. Awaken, Messenger

Yuya and Yuzu were walking home from school when Yuya noticed a girl, who appeared to be around 12, laying unconscious in an alleyway. She had a duel disk, as everyone in the city should, and Yuya decided to take her to his house. He carried her home.

She awoke to- barking...? Wait, she was at home, wasn't she, halfway asleep on the couch. The back door was open, the screen pulled shut over it. The idiotic neighbor's dogs were barking again. They really should train those dogs. But the blanket she was under felt scratchy. She glanced down at it. It was a bright blue color, which confused her. She didn't have any wool blankets this color, they were all grey woven with black markings. She sat up. "Huh...?"

Yoko noticed she was awake. "Are you feeling better, hun?"

"Mum..? No, wait, where am I..."

"You're in our house. Yuya found you unconscious in an alleyway and brought you here."

"Yuya..?"

"Yes, my son. What's your name, sweetie?"

"Lauren." At that point, one of the dogs came in, and the girl began to pet him. "Oh, you like that, dont'cha, you big softie?" She smiled sadly.

Yoko observed how the girl seemed to have a fondness for the animal, but then she noticed the sad smile across her face.  _Did she perhaps used to have a dog at one point?_

"C'mere, Jakey-" she cut herself off by clamping her hand over her mouth, eyes widening. A stifled "No" came out of her mouth and Yoko realized the problem. She soon brushed it off like nothing had happened, and continued petting the dog softly.

* * *

The next day, Yuya had led the girl around town. She was quite impulsive and childish but then they came across some teenagers kicking a wounded stray. Yuya was about to step in when the girl ran up and shoved the teenagers out of the way, putting herself between the teens and the animal. "Hey, kid, what'cha doin' gettin' in our way like that? You got a death wish or somethin'?" she said nothing, but held her head high, as if daring them to tempt her. "Aw, guys, take a look at this kid, bein' all smug because they're bein' a hero. Well, let me tell ya somethin', kid, ya gotta put an animal like that outta it's misery. Here, let me show ya." He took a step closer, but the girl stood her ground. "You got a death wish, kid? Well lay it on me, I'll give ya the first shot."

"You know..." she said, winding back her fist, "You shouldn't have said that." She pushed her arm forward, punching him clear in the gut. The other teens approached, and she put her hands up, rocking back and forth on her feet. The other teens put their hands up, prepared to take down this ignorant kid and get revenge for their friend.

She dispatched them all swiftly. "You should learn to tell the difference between talking big and being big." she smugly advised them, before attempting to soothe the wounded animal she had stepped in to protect.

 


	2. Yuya and Lauren vs. Strong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rules stated that anyone who was chosen to face the champion like this could choose another person to duel alongside them if they so wished.

The Action Field: Castle of Chaos was put into play. All three duelists shouted, "DUEL!"

Lauren: 4000

Yuya: 4000

Strong: 4000

"Boku no turn! I Summon Apprentice Boulder Dragon of Memories and activate it's effect! Once per turn, I can perform a Fusion Summon with monsters I control! And when this card is used as material for a Fusion Summon, it counts as two materials! Gifted apprentice of the earthly beast, become one with the earth itself and call forth your master! Fusion Summon! Level 7! Terra Dragon of Memories! I set two cards face down and end my turn."

"My turn! I Summon Entermate Discover Hippo and activate it's effect! Once per turn, I can Tribute Summon a Level 7 or higher monster in Attack Position! Appear now with your wondrous and beautiful dichromatic eyes, lay waste to all that lies before you! Odd-Eyes Dragon! Battle! Odd-Eyes Dragon attacks Strong directly! Spiral Strike Burst!"

Lauren: 4000

Yuya: 4000

Strong: 1500

"Entermate Discover Hippo, attack directly!"

Lauren: 4000

Yuya: 4000

Strong: 700

"I set two cards face down and end my turn."

"My turn! I play Feast of the Wild LV5, allowing me to Special Summon two Level 5 Warrior-type monsters from my hand, but their effects are negated and they cannot attack. Come, Lava Battleguard and Swamp Battleguard! I tribute Lava Battleguard and Swamp Battleguard! Come! Battleguard King! I activate Battleguard King's effect! If this card was Tribute Summoned using a "Battleguard" monster, it can attack twice per turn! First, attack Odd-Eyes Dragon!"

"Action Magic: Miracle! The damage is halved and Odd-Eyes isn't destroyed!"

Lauren: 4000

Yuya: 3750

Strong: 700

"Battleguard King, attack Odd-Eyes again!"

"Action Magic: Evasion! The attack is negated!"

"Gr... I set one card face down. Turn end."

"Boku no turn! I Summon Royal Guard Dogaressa and activate its effect to Special Summon Royal Guard Dogamy, which increases both their ATK by 500, [Dogamy: ATK-1800>2300] [Dogaressa: ATK-1800>2300] and when both a Dogamy and Dogaressa are on the field and both have over 2000 ATK, I can Special Summon one Royal Guard Sentry Papyrus. With Sentry Papyrus's effect, I add Annoying Dog from my deck to my hand. I Tune my Sentry Papyrus to Dogaressa. Skeletal canine created for destruction, reveal yourself as a sacred beast and destroy all opposition with your luminous blue eyes! Synchro Summon! Come forth, Skeletal Blaster Dragon! [ATK-3200 DEF-2300 Lv:8] I activate Skeletal Blaster Dragon's effect! When this card is Synchro Summoned using two Royal Guard monsters, it can attack twice per turn! Battle! Skeletal Blaster Dragon attacks Battleguard King!"

"I activate a Trap Card: Battleguard Howling! When a "Battleguard" monster I control is targeted for an attack, I can return the attacking monster to the hand and inflict damage equal to it's ATK!"

"Nice try, but Skeletal Blaster Dragon is a Synchro monster! It can't go to the hand!"

"But you'll still take the damage!"

"Field Spell: Dream Arena!"

"W-What!?"

"All effects except those of Royal Guard monsters are negated!"

"B-But you lose your second attack-!"

"That's fine. You receive the 200 damage now."

Lauren: 4000

Yuya: 3750

Strong: 500

"I set one card face down, turn end."

"My turn! Battle! Odd-Eyes Dragon attacks directly! Spiral Strike Flame!"

Lauren:4000

Yuya:3750

Strong:0

**"The winners are Lauren Brawley and Sakaki Yuya!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, we won't get Pendulums yet. As a result, Sora will have different motives, and Shingo will as well. They're all focused on Lauren at the moment, seeing as she was responsible for carrying most of the match.


	3. Carry Your Weight, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lauren is forced into a duel against Akaba Reiji to see if she is fit to enroll at LDS. None of the students of You Show have a problem with her going to LDS; they just want her to do what she's comfortable with.

Here she stood, forced into a duel against the CEO of the Leo Corporation, simply to test if she would be capable of enrolling at LDS. "Duel!"

Lauren: 4000

Reiji: 4000

"Boku no turn! I summon Royal Guard Dogaressa and activate it's effect, summoning Dogamy and boosting their ATK by 500! Now, with Dogamy and Dogaressa's second effect, I Summon Sentry Papyrus, adding one Annoying Dog to my hand. Now, I activate Annoying Dog's effect! If I Summoned a Tuner monster this turn, I can Special Summon Royal Guard Lesser Dog! Now, Lesser Dog's effect! If this card was summoned in Attack Position, I can draw three cards. If I draw a Level 5 or higher monster, I can Special Summon it, ignoring its summoning conditions!" She drew, and a large smile graced her face. "I Summon Slifer the Sky Dragon."

"W-What!? Impossible!" Himika cried out. She had sat on the sidelines, watching the duel. How could this girl have a god card!?

"Now, I set one card face down and end my turn."

"My turn! I activate Dark Contract with the Gate, causing me to take 1000 damage in my next Standby Phase, but also allows me to add a Level 4 or lower D/D monster from my deck to my hand once per turn. I add D/D Cerberus to my hand, before activating another Dark Contract with the Gate, increasing the damage to 2000 but allowing me to add another Level 4 or lower D/D monster from my deck to my hand. I choose D/D Lilith. Now I activate Dark Contract with the Swamp King, increasing the damage to 3000, but allowing me to perform a Fusion Summon. I fuse D/D Cerberus and D/D Lilith from my hand! Hellhound which bares its fangs, seductress of dark night! In whirlpool of light from the realm of the dead, become one and give birth to a new King! Fusion Summon! Be born, D/D/D Flame King Temujin! I now set two cards face down, end turn."

"Boku no turn! I Tribute Lesser Dog to Summon Royal Guard Captain Undyne! Arise, spear-wielding warrior of the flooded caverns! I now Tribute Dogaressa to summon Royal Guard Greater Dog, then I Overlay my Level 5 Captain Undyne and Greater Dog! Great claws of the strongest ice, tear apart our foes with the brutal winds of vengeance! Xyz Summon! Rank 5! The arctic dragon who controls the winds! Hailstorm Dragon! Now, I Tune my Dogamy with my Sentry Papyrus! Skeletal canine created for destruction, reveal yourself as a sacred beast and destroy all opposition with your luminous blue eyes! Synchro Summon! Come forth, Skeletal Blaster Dragon! Battle! Hailstorm Dragon attacks Flame King Temujin! Piercing Ice!"

Lauren: 4000

Reiji: 3500

"I end my turn."

"My turn! I summon the Tuner monster D/D Nighthowl! Let us see if you can counter all three summoning methods when used as effectively as you use them yourself... D/D Nighthowl's effect! When it is successfully summoned, I can summon one Level 4 or lower D/D monster from my graveyard, but it's ATK and DEF become 0. Arise, D/D Lilith! I tune my D/D Nighthowl and D/D Lilith! Howls that tear through the night, with swiftness of gales give birth to a new king! Synchro Summon! Be born, D/D/D Gust King Alexander! Now, Temujin's effect! When another D/D/D monster is successfully summoned, I can summon a Level 4 or lower D/D monster from my graveyard. Revive again, D/D Lilith! Alexander's effect! When a D/D monster is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon one level 4 or lower D/D monster from my graveyard. Return to me, D/D Cerberus! I Overlay my D/D Lilith and D/D Cerberus! In order to subjugate all that resides within this world, descend now onto the peak of the world! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Be born, D/D/D Wave King Caesar!"

"Continuous Trap: Balanced Scales of Summoning! When I control an Extra Deck monster, all Extra Deck monsters you control that are the same summoning method as an Extra Deck monster I control are removed from play until all Extra Deck monsters I control leave the field!"

"What!? Ugh.. I set one card face down, turn end."

"Boku no turn! I summon Apprentice Boulder Dragon of Memories and activate it's effect! Gifted apprentice of the earthly beast, become one with the earth itself and call forth your master! Fusion Summon! Level 8! Awaken from the depths of the ancient forest, Terra Dragon of Memories! Terra Dragon's effect! Once per turn, I can add one level 6 or lower Dragon of Memories monster to my hand. Now, I play the Field Spell Dream Arena, negating all effects except for those of Royal Guard monsters."

"But that negates your effects too!"

"I know what I'm doing. Skeletal Blaster Dragon attacks directly! Azure Flare!"

"Trap activate: Negate Attack! The attack is negated and the Battle Phase ends!"

"I set one card face down, turn end."

"My turn! Observe! I activate D/D Swirlal Slime's effect in my hand, allowing me to perform a Fusion Summon with it and other monsters in my hand! Fusion Summon! Return, D/D/D Flame King Temujin!"

 


	4. Carry Your Weight, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surrender or fight desperately; the choice is yours.

"I offer you the opportunity now to surrender shamelessly. However, if you continue, I shall show you no mercy."

Even Lauren knew when she had had enough. Down to 50 LP, she had constantly withstood his assault, but her dragons had slowly begun to grow weary of the continued cycle. She placed her hand on her deck, a small smile pulling at her lips. Even though she had surrendered, both Reiji and Himika had been so impressed with the match that she was enrolled into LDS' Advanced courses for all three Summoning methods, no doubt to test her knowledge on the isolated summons.

Later that night, on the Sakakis' couch as usual, she pulled out all her dragons, filtering through them and staring at each one for a few seconds, and every time she arrived at a different face their familiar voices spoke comforting, inspiring, and motivating words to her. Volcanic said, in his passionate, energetic voice, "You pulled some amazing combos! I knew you could do it!" Terra had rumbled in his wise, deep voice "You have finally achieved your dream, and thus have no need to be ashamed. You tried your best, and that is all that matters." Jinchuu praised her, saying, "I am proud of you for believing in our power, even when everything seemed hopeless you still had faith in us. You are maturing into a fine young Duelist, still full of light and purity."

"Thanks, everyone," she whispered. "And good night, I'll see you in the morning." She put the cards away, tucking them safely back in their resting place alongside the rest of the deck. She curled up on the couch and went to sleep.

* * *

Lauren awoke in the morning and after eating a bowl of cereal, thanking Yoko, she went off to LDS, meeting up with Shingo, the prideful prick that Yuya somehow befriended. Shingo at least promised to meet up with her every morning and walk with her to LDS. However today Masumi, Yaiba, and Hokuto stopped them. "Hey, we wanted to let you know that there's this Xyz user going around and dueling LDS students, and Yaiba suggested we all walk together to be safe." Masumi said.

"Sounds good. I wonder why they're only approaching LDS..." Lauren inquired.

"There's this rumor going around that he uses Raidraptors, too..." Hokuto added.

"Raidraptors? Sounds almost as obscure as Ms. Royal Guard and Dragon of Memories over here..." Sawatari joked.

"Hey, lay off man. You don't hear me dissing Abyss Actors, do you?"

"You wouldn't dare."

"I totally would."

"That's enough, you two, let's get to class already."Masumi intervened, though a smile did shine through on her face at the sight of the friendly teasing. It felt good to make two more friends, even if one was way too skilled for her age and the other was a narcissistic prick.

* * *

School was a breeze. A new year having started, new students were getting shown around and Lauren received a lot of attention for her defeat of Strong and her duel against Reiji, but they backed off after receiving glares from Shingo, Masumi, Hokuto, and Yaiba. They formed a protective circle around the vertically challenged young duelist, as she was 12 but only 4'9". Eventually they reached a classroom, though it was more the size of an auditorium, clearly labeled dueling rings set up towards the front, around the same spot at the teacher's desk. They all sat in some open seats, the seats around them quickly filling up, as the room was filled with the intermingling sounds of multiple conversations being held at once. And so the story progressed, and the characters shown as antagonists upon their debut in the original would grow to become symbols of friendship. None of them harbored evil intentions.

 

 


	5. Shingo Denied Count: 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shingo didn't even get to take his turn in the 5 v 1 against Challenger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that I'm using the English names of the LDS representatives' monsters, I just would prefer to use them than refer to them with shorter, less specific names. Besides, if I did that, Hokuto's monsters would be "Sacred" and I'm not calling them that when Lauren "Supreme Mega Dragon Wielder, Controller of Like All the Sacred Beasts" Brawley is present in this fic.

"Hey, Sawatari." Lauren greeted the prideful, narcissistic prick for the second time this week. Masumi, Hokuto, and Yaiba soon caught up, and Masumi informed them that the Xyz user had eliminated a high-ranking officer.

Suddenly, a figure stepped out in front of them. He was wearing goggles and a scarf concealed the rest of his face. He raised his duel disk, clearly an action of challenge. They all stepped forward, ready to take him down if necessary.

Lauren: 4000

Shingo: 4000

Masumi: 4000

Hokuto: 4000

Yaiba: 4000

Challenger: 4000

Lauren took the first turn. "I summon Apprentice Flaming Dragon of Memories, whose effect allows me to perform a Fusion Summon! And Apprentice Flaming's second effect makes it two materials when used for Fusion Summons! Student of the fire's king, gaze into the flames and call forth your master! Fusion Summon! Level 7! Come forth, Volcanic Dragon of Memories! Now I activate Volcanic's effect, which allows me to Special Summon one Level 6 or lower "Dragon of Memories" monster from my Graveyard! Heed your master's call, Apprentice Flaming! I set one card face down and end my turn."

"That's it, Lauren? I'm disappointed. Well, I'll just do all the Xyz for you, how about that!?"

"I think you should just hurry up so I can get all my other dragons out."

"Jeez, rude... I Summon Constellar Algiedi, whose effect allows me to Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Constellar monster from my hand. I Special Summon Constellar Kaus! Now, Constellar Kaus's effect allows me to either increase or decrease the level of any monster I control up to twice per turn! I increase both Kaus and Algiedi's levels by one! I now Overlay my Constellar Kaus and Constellar Algiedi! Shining warrior of the cosmos, defeat all of our foes with your mighty strength! Xyz Summon! Rank 5! Descend, Constellar Pleiades! I now use Constellar Pleiades as Xyz material for an Xyz Monster one Rank higher, due to the to be summoned monster's effect! Valiant shining warrior, form a pact with the draconic shining overseer! Xyz Summon! Rank 6! Constellar Ptolemy M7! Ptolemy M7 attacks the challenger directly! Shining Force!"

Lauren: 4000

Shingo: 4000

Masumi: 4000

Hokuto: 4000

Yaiba: 4000

Challenger: 4000>1300

"I set one card face down and end my turn."

"My turn! Here, allow me to show you the power of my Synchro Summoning! I summon XX-Saber Boggarknight, whose effect allows me to Special Summon one level 4 or lower X-Saber monster from my hand! I summon XX-Saber Fulhelmknight! Now, I Tune my XX-Saber Boggarknight and Fulhelmknight!"

"Here it comes!" Masumi commented. "Yaiba's ace monster!"

"Saber wielding knights, join in the maelstrom of resonance and call forth the legendary warrior! Synchro Summon! Level 8! XX-Saber Chaos Knight! [ATK-3000 DEF-2500 Lv:8] Chaos Knight's effect! Once per turn, I can inflict 200 damage to my opponent! Saber Lance!" Chaos Knight materialized a javelin in his hands and hurled it towards the challenger, reducing his life points by 200.

Lauren: 4000

Shingo: 4000

Masumi: 4000

Hokuto: 4000

Yaiba: 4000

Challenger: 1300>1100

"I set one card face down and end my turn."

"My turn! Allow me to demonstrate my radiant Fusion Summons! I summon Gem Knight Topaz, whose effect allows me to summon a Level 4 or lower Gem Knight from my hand! I summon Gem Knight Ruby! Now I activate the Spell Card Polymerization, fusing the Gem Knight Topaz and Ruby on my field with Gem Knight Sapphire in my hand! Radiant topaz, shining ruby, and captivating sapphire, become one and call forth a gemstone with your combined powers! Fusion Summon! Level 8! Gem Knight Snowflake Obsidian! [ATK-3000 DEF-3000 Lv:8] Gem Knight Snowflake Obsidian attacks directly! Crystal Shards!" Snowflake Obsidian pointed her finger towards the challenger, and crystal shards materialized around her, before flying at the mysterious challenger.

Lauren: 4000

Shingo: 4000

Masumi: 4000

Hokuto: 4000

Yaiba: 4000

Challenger: 1100>0

"Flawless victory!" Shingo cheered. "Great job guys!"

They all ignored him, instead Lauren approached the stranger, but he ran off. Masumi had called security and they arrived as soon as the man took off, giving chase to the fleeing suspect. Right now, he was the primary suspect in the LDS assault cases, and they were not going to let him slip by.


	6. The Maiami Championships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And thus it has begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna do opening poems, representative of each of the six opening themes. I'll put them in the summary of the fic.

Here it was, the event everyone had been waiting for; the Maiami Championships. Nico announced them all. "From Ryozanpaku, we have Isao Kachidoki, Nagi, and Taka. As the sole representative of Gongenzaka Dojo, Gongenzaka Noboru! From You Show, we have Sakaki Yuya, Hiiragi Yuzu, and Shiun'in Sora. As per the official inter-school tournament rules, schools with one representative will be allied with a single school of their choice, as long as the other member agrees, so Gongenzaka Noboru will be considered part of You Show during the remainder of this tournament. From LDS, we have Lauren Brawley, Kotsu Masumi, Sawatari Shingo, Shijima Hokuto, Todo Yaiba, and Kurosaki Shun." He continued to list competitors from other schools, until he was finished and moved on. "Now, competitors, please check your duel disks for notifications of the time and opponent of your next duel. Competitors, please check your duel disks." Everyone looked down at their duel disks. "I'm first!?" Yuya exclaimed. "And I'm against...  _Kachidoki_!?!?"

"That is correct. Prepare to face defeat." Kachidoki said curtly, approaching Yuya as the other competitors were led to a special section in the stands.

"Duel!"

 (Skipping because NO I'M NOT DOING THIS. It's unimportant and without ANY of the dimensional counterparts having appeared this is going to become extremely boring extremely quickly. So no, I'm just gonna skip. Now we'll do the important plot-related things. Like the Battle Royale. lol)

* * *

 

Before long, a week to be exact, the first half of the Maiami Championships was over. Now, the remaining competitors fought in a city-wide Action Field that was divided into four areas. First came the Oasis, which was a bumpy rock ground filled with shallow water. One had to balance on the stones to travel through the area. Second was the Jungle, which was filled with dense plants and multiple clearings. One had to forge a path through the dense greenery. Third was the Glacier, where duelists had to watch their step or they would slip and fall on the smooth ice. Last was the Sky, where duelists with flying monsters were free to travel across the platforms or simply ride their monsters. The Oasis and Jungle were split by a calm, flowing river, which led into the Glacier area. The Sky Area surveyed all of this, and one had to first summon a flying monster before ascending to the platforms.

The competition began, and feeds of current duels were being displayed on monitors for the audience to watch.

Taki and Naga confronted Yuya in the Oasis, constantly using Action Cards to cause an infinite damage loop, until a sudden surprise intrusion stopped them. "Hi, I'm Dennis Macfield! Yuya, I've felt greatly inspired by you, and as such, I see that I should be intervening here! I Summon Entermage Flame Eater!" The effect was devoured by the flame-eating vaguely humanoid monster. Together, with Yuya and Dennis's teamwork, Nagi and Taka were defeated.

 


	7. War-Torn Tourney

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come, for the grand tournament to be interrupted by the devilishly unsightly invaders.

Masumi, Hokuto, Yaiba, and Lauren had all gone off in a group together, not willing to duel each other. By now, all the public camera feeds had been cut off.

It had started when three men in blue coats, all wearing an identical white jagged mask, had entered this dimension (?) and the Challenger's opponents, the Knights of Dueling, had been defeated and sealed into  _cards_ in the Glacier area. All five present had witnessed this, and as Masumi, Yaiba, Hokuto, and the Challenger had stepped up to confront the dangerous men, they had formed a protective semicircle around Lauren, all five knowing that she was the youngest competitor here, and shouldn't have to see this.

Lauren trembled, thinking of things she would never reveal to anyone, never in a million years would anyone  _ever_ have to experience the thoughts in her head at the current moment. She fell down, hitting the hard ice. Luckily, she wasn't hurt, but she shook quietly, not out of cold, but out of fear. She was  _afraid_.

* * *

 

The swift defeat of the blue-coated men only barely put her mind at ease. As soon as the duel was over, the three whirled around, only to find her clutching her head and breathing heavily, eyes widened and cornered with stinging tears. They bit at the corners of her eyes, gravity taking effect eventually and streaming out the creases of her eyelids, streaming down her cheeks and leaving traces of their path in the form of quickly-freezing water molecules. Masumi rushed over to help her, while Hokuto and Yaiba hesitated. What could they possibly do to help?

Lauren looked up to see Masumi offering what comfort she could, and before Masumi could say anything Lauren had grabbed her and hugged her tightly, desperate for physical contact. Masumi didn't even protest, just holding her there and offering comfort. Hokuto and Yaiba didn't know what they should do at this point. It was becoming increasingly awkward for them, but they didn't want to leave their friend. Not when she was like this.

* * *

 

Soon, she had managed to calm down enough for her to feel comfortable with moving ahead. They needed to find the other competitors and warn them.


	8. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The prey's pitiful attempts to escape, a last, desperate attempt at self-preservation, is always entertaining. Unless you are interrupted by another predator hunting the same prey as you. However, when one defeats the other, the prey has already escaped.

After searching a while, the foursome encountered Yuya and Gongenzaka. The two patiently listened to the explanation, asking a few questions, and then Lauren spotted something, breaking off into a run. "Yuzu!" she shouted.

Yuri approached the pink-haired girl. She was his prey; and now she was coming back to Academia, straight into the waiting arms of the Professor. Hearing Lauren's shout he turned, curious as to who had so unkindly interrupted him.

Yuzu shouted, "Lauren! What are you doing here!?"

"Saving you!" she responded, standing firmly in between Yuzu and Yuri.

"Hm? What's this?" Yuri mused. He didn't expect much from this small kid. However, he then noticed the way she stood, and the particular way her muscles were tensed. He could tell; this girl was a fighter. "So, are you going to challenge me?"

"I'll do more than that; I'll win."

"Oh, really now?"

She said nothing, only activating her duel disk.

[Duel: Begin]

Lauren:4000

Yuri: 4000

"Boku no turn! I Summon Apprentice Boulder Dragon of Memories, whose effect activates, allowing me to perform a Fusion Summon with monsters I control! Apprentice Boulder's second effect! Apprentice Boulder counts as two materials for Fusion Summons!  Gifted apprentice of the earthly beast, become one with the earth itself and call forth your master! Fusion Summon! Level 7! Terra Dragon of Memories!"

"Fusion?"

"Terra's effect! Once per turn, I can add one Level 6 or lower "Dragon of Memories" monster from my deck to my hand! I add Apprentice Flaming Dragon of Memories to my hand! Now, I set four cards face down and end my turn."

"Boku no turn! Allow me to demonstrate an authentic Fusion Summon, not the fake copy used in Standard! I activate Polymerization, fusing Predator Plants Fly Hell and Moray Nepenthes. Beautiful flowers that tempt insects with your enchanting fragrance, become one now, and let the hell locked within your petals give birth to a new menace! Fusion Summon! Come forth! The starving dragon bearing venomous fangs! Level 8! Starve Venom Fusion Dragon! I activate Starve Venom Fusion Dragon's effect, allowing me to increase this card's ATK for every Special Summoned monster you control. [Starve Venom: ATK-2800>4600] Battle! Starve Venom Fusion Dragon attacks Terra Dragon of Memories!"

"The effect of Hibiscus Dragon of Memories activates from my hand! When a "Dragon of Memories" monster I control would be destroyed by battle, I can send one monster in my hand to the Graveyard, besides Hibiscus Dragon of Memories, and Special Summon Hibiscus Dragon of Memories in Defense Position, and the attacking monster is forced to attack this card! And when Hibiscus would be destroyed by battle on the turn this effect is activated, the battle is negated and the attacking monster is destroyed! Tropical Storm!"

"Starve Venom's effect! When this card is destroyed, I can destroy as many Special Summoned monsters you control as possible, and inflict their total ATK values to you in damage! Invasion Vengeance!"

"Trap activate! Emergency Barricade! All monsters I control have their ATK points reduced to zero, gain the amount lost in DEF points, and are shifted to Defense Position until the end of the turn!"

"Playing hard to get? I set one card face down, turn end."

"Boku no turn! I Summon Apprentice Flaming Dragon of Memories, whose effect allows me to perform a Fusion Summon using monsters I control, and when Apprentice Flaming is used for a Fusion Summon, it counts as two Fusion Materials! Student of the fire's king, gaze into the flames and become one with your master! Fusion Summon! Level 7! Volcanic Dragon of Memories! Volcanic's effect! I Special Summon one Level 6 or lower Dragon of Memories monster from the Graveyard, in this case, Apprentice Boulder! Now, Apprentice Boulder's effect! I Fuse Apprentice Boulder Dragon of Memories and Terra Dragon of Memories! Apprentice and master of the earth, become one and take the form of the ancient king of the lands! Fusion Summon! Level 10! King Earth Dragon of Memories! Now, King Earth's effect! When this card is successfully summoned, I can destroy all cards my opponent controls and inflict 100 damage for each one!"

Lauren: 4000

Yuri: 3900

"Battle! King Earth Dragon of Memories attacks directly! Earth Shattering Roar!"

"Continuous Trap! Betrayal! If I am attacked directly, I can negate the attack, end the Battle Phase, and take control of the attacking monster!" The giant plant dragon flew over to Yuri's field.

"K'so... I end my turn."

"Boku no turn! I Summon Predator Plant Lilyzard! Now, I activate the Continuous Trap Dragon Creeping Plant, which I can activate if I control a Dragon-Type monster! I can take control of 1 Dragon-Type monster you control that's not the highest level! I'm taking that Hibiscus Dragon of Memories! Now, I activate the Field Spell Fusion Shadows, which changes all monsters on the field to DARK attribute, and once per turn, either player can perform a Fusion Summon with monsters they control! I Fuse Predator Plant Lilyzard and Hibiscus Dragon of Memories! Two dragon plants of different lands, become one and unleash the sweet-smelling fragrances which conceal the never-ending darkness! Fusion Summon! Dragon which hungers for all in the world! Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon! Since Hibiscus Dragon of Memories left the field, Dragon Creeping Plant is destroyed. Battle! King Earth Dragon of Memories attacks Volcanic Dragon of Memories!"

"The effect of Ethereal Dragon of Memories in my Graveyard! Once per turn, if a Dragon of Memories monster I control would be destroyed by battle, it isn't!"

"The other effect of Fusion Shadows! All monsters on the field inflict piercing damage!"

Lauren: 3000

Yuri: 3900

"Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon attacks Volcanic Dragon of Memories! Gluttony Fang!"

Lauren: 2200

Yuri: 3900

"I set one card face down and end my turn."

"Boku no turn! I Summon Royal Guard Dogaressa, whose effect allows me to Special Summon Royal Guard Dogamy from my hand, and increase both their ATK by 500! Furthermore, when both Dogamy and Dogaressa have ATK greater than 2000, I can Special Summon the Tuner monster Royal Guard Sentry Papyrus from my hand, Deck, or Graveyard!"

"Tuner? Both Synchro and Fusion… I’m beginning to thoroughly enjoy this!”

"Now, I activate the effect of Royal Guard Sentry Papyrus, adding one Annoying Dog from my Deck to my hand! Now, I activate the effect of Royal Guard Greater Dog in my hand! When I control three or more Royal Guard monsters, I can Special Summon one level 4 or lower Royal Guard monster from my hand! I Special Summon the Level 3 Royal Guard Lesser Dog! Now, I Tune Royal Guard Sentry Papyrus and Lesser Dog! Dragon which shines with all the beauty of the stars! Descend from your desolate post to assist in the divine retribution! Synchro Summon! Stella Pulverem Dragon!" The white serpentine dragon appeared. [Stella Pulverem Dragon: ATK-2500 DEF-2000 Lv: 7]

"A Synchro Tuner!?" Yuzu gasped. She didn't know that much about Synchro Summons, but Synchro Tuners were apparently rare.

“Now, Stella Pulverem Dragon’s effect! Once per turn, I can add one LIGHT monster from my Deck to my hand, and then Special Summon one LIGHT monster from my Graveyard! I Special Summon Ethereal Dragon of Memories! Battle! King Earth Dragon of Memories attacks Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon! Earth Shattering Roar!”

Lauren: 2200

Yuri: 3700

“The effect of Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon! If this card was destroyed, I can destroy as many monsters on the field as possible, and inflict damage to their controllers equal to the original ATK they had on the field! Vengeful Wrath!”

Lauren: 0

Yuri: 3700

“Now, does anyone else wish to challenge me, or shall I be on my way with my prey?”

 


	9. Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location...

"...Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this year’s Friendship Cup! This year, we have some talented participants! Let’s start with the honorary match between one lucky contestant and the Master of Faster, the Sultan of Speed, the King, Jack Atlas!” Jack rode in. “Our lucky contestant, selected to be a part of this honorary match, is… Fujimoto Kibowa!” A person on a deep violet custom-made D-Wheel rode into the other spot. “Action Field: On! Cross Over: Acceleration!” 

 

“I’ll be polite and let the challenger go first!” Jack called. People cheered.

 

“Thank you! I’ll be sure to honor your kindness with a  _ stellar  _ first turn! I Summon the Tuner monster Lumens - Cassiopeia!” [ATK- 1000 DEF-1200 Lv: 4] A starry-robed queen appeared.

 

“Weak! Why would you summon that thing!?” The crowd yelled. Kibowa sighed.  _ “Every time…” _

 

“Now, I activate Cassiopeia’s effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Lumens monster from my hand! I Special Summon Lumens - Cygnus! [ATK- 300 DEF-1200 Lv: 3] Now, I Tune my Lumens Cassiopeia and Cygnus! Wings that shine like the cosmos, destroy our enemies at lightspeed! Synchro Summon! Level 7! Astral Zodiac Synchro Dragon!” [ATK- 2500 DEF-2000 Lv: 7]

 

“I set two cards face down and end my turn.”

 

“You indeed did what you said you would, and thus I will respond in kind! I Summon Red Gargoyle, whose effect allows me to Special Summon one Level Four or lower monster from my hand. I Special Summon Red Wyvern! Now, I Tune Red Wyvern and Red Gargoyle!”

 

“Continuous Trap activate! Interstellar Boundary! I can activate this card when the opponent attempts a Synchro Summon while I have at least two Lumens in the Graveyard! All Synchro Summons the opponent makes are negated while I have two Lumens in the Graveyard!”

 

“What a surprise! Kibowa, our challenger, has come prepared to face the King’s ace!”

 

“A lock deck, eh?” Jack called to Kibowa. “If your deck only locks Synchro Summons, then you’re in for a surprise! I activate the effect of Red Gargoyle! When this monster was used as material for a negated Synchro Summon, I can negate the card that negated the summon until the End Phase! Now, I once again Tune my Red Wyvern and Red Gargoyle! Howl of the king, shake the earth and the heavens! Engrave the power of the one and only supreme ruler into yourself! Synchro Summon! Savage soul! Red Dragon Archfiend Scarlight!”

 

“We’re in for a treat, folks! Not only did Jack negate Kibowa’s counter Trap, but he also got his ace monster onto the field!”

 

“Red Dragon Archfiend Scarlight’s effect! Once per turn, I can destroy as many Special Summoned Effect Monsters on the field as possible whose ATK is less than this card’s, and the opponent takes 500 damage for each monster destroyed! Howl of Wrath!” Red Dragon Archfiend roared, creating a shockwave that destroyed Astral Zodiac.

 

Kibowa: 3500

Jack: 4000

 

“Battle! Red Dragon Archfiend attacks directly!”

 

“Trap activate! Lumen Reactor! When I would be targeted for a direct attack, the attack is negated and the attacking monster is destroyed!”

 

“Tch… How long can you hold off defeat!? I set two cards face down and end my turn!”

 

“My turn! I Summon Lumens - Leo!” A starry-furred lion appeared. [ATK-2000 DEF-800 Lv: 4] “Leo’s effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Tuner monster from my hand! I Special Summon Lumens - Capricornus!” A starry mergoat appeared. [ATK-1500 DEF-1000 Lv:4] “Capricorn’s effect! Once per turn, I can Tribute two or more monsters on my field, including Capricorn, to Special Summon one Synchro Monster from my Graveyard, but the Levels of the Tributed monsters must be equal or greater than the level of the Special Summoned monster! I Tribute Lumens Leo and Capricorn! Revive, Astral Zodiac! Battle! Astral Zodiac attacks Red Dragon Archfiend!”

 

“Why do you attack the monster with higher ATK?”

 

“Astral Zodiac’s effect! When this card does battle, the other monster’s ATK becomes zero, and Astral Zodiac’s ATK increases by half that amount until the End Phase! [Red Dragon Archfiend: ATK-3000>0] [Astral Zodiac: ATK-2500>4000] Starlight Force!”

 

“If this attack connects, Jack will lose!”

 

“Trap activate! Red Revenge! When I would take 2000 or more damage by battle, the damage is negated, the Battle Phase ends, the other monster is destroyed, and the opponent takes damage equal to its ATK!”

 

“The effect of Cygnus in my Graveyard! When I would take damage that would reduce my life to 0, the damage is split between us, reducing our life by the same amount! We both take 2000 damage instead!”

 

Kibowa: 1500

Jack: 2000

“I end my turn.”

 

“My turn! I activate the Spell Red Reckoning, allowing me to Special Summon one Red monster from my Graveyard and Summon a number of Red Tokens depending on its level!  Because Red Dragon Archfiend is Level 8, I Summon two Red Tokens! Now, I Tune my two Red Tokens to my Red Dragon Archfiend! The King and the Devil, here and now, shall become as one! Feel the soul of the Crimson Dragon, and let out a war cry that shakes all of creation! Synchro Summon! Come forth! Level 10! Red Dragon Archfiend Tyrant! Prepare yourself for the king’s might! Red Dragon Archfiend Tyrant’s effect! Once per turn, I can destroy all other cards on the field, but other monsters on my field cannot attack.”

 

“Hear that? Because Jack has no other monsters on his field, the effect doesn’t apply to him! Good thinking!” Melissa called. This match was indeed interesting.

 

“Battle! Red Dragon Archfiend Tyrant attacks directly! So much for your  _ stellar  _ match! Crimson Hellfire!”

 

Kibowa: 0

Jack: 2000

 

“Even though they lost, Kibowa provided an amazing match while it lasted! Folks, I think we know who will be the most popular in the betting pools this year!”


End file.
